Part 8 - The Trial of Surprises

Few weeks of no sounds or sights of Bella or anyone from La Push really close to her, the trial day was here, and her mother was also called to go on stand to tell her version of what had happened up to the point of Quil Matthew Aterea the 3rd's death. Then Isabella herself would be on stand too, but the surprise they all would get that day, her mother included, was her news of being a married woman now to Jared after a quiet, small wedding ceremony with just family and closest friends of the Cameron Family there to witness their day 2 weeks ago.

The Cullens wouldnt be able to help themselves and would also be there to hear it all out from what had happened and why it was out now then back then. So everyone crammed into the court-room, as they had to open the door for second court room, as the room was that full that they had to expand it out for everyone to be able to sit in there to listen on the open door case.

Bella and her family came in last of all, and Bella held hands with Jared, and even her mother stared in shock of seeing her with this tall man next to her and holding his hand, as she knew nothing of what was going on or what had happened while Bella was here to stay around. The Cullens looked shocked of this kind of display too. Charlie sat in his seat, and kept an even glare towards the two.

Then the judge came inside, and all stood in his honour except those in wheelchairs and not allowed to stand for too long either of course. After he had been ruled in and had told the crowd's of his name, he then told everyone that they could take their seats. Then he proceeded to say;

"We are here to have the long-awaited trial of the accused and confessed murderer of Quil Matthew Aterea the 3rd, that was murdered of said confessed murderer in raw jealous and anger of being the one who fathered the girl he thought was his daugther. How do you plea, Mr Swan?"

"Guilty of second degree murder, sir." At that he nodded but he said

"You meant to say guilty of first degree murder, Mr Swan, as you did confess on tape and written statement to the FBI, Police Officers and CIA, this was a planned murder therefore a first degree murder, not second degree. Or was I wrong in what I read in your papers and saw on the tape, Mr Swan?"

Many in the crowd gasped at this, as Bella was being held by her now husband, Jared, and Sam who sat next to her on the other side of her, held her shoulder in a gentle grip, which made her relax and be relieved for abit, as Charlie said angrily

"Fine, first degree, I am guility of that, sir."

"No need for anger, Mr Swan towards me as you have already started off badly with purgery of lying of what you are guility for and of. Now I call Mrs Renee Dwyer up on the stand. Please." And Bella's mother went shakingly up and was sworn in, while Phil sat there with worry not for her but for Bella's sake.

"Mrs Dwyer, could you tell what you told the FBI agent that call you on the news of your ex-husband's arrest of said first degree murder of your former lover, whom he then later killed in angry jealousy, please?"

And Renee sighed then proceed to tell how it all began in first place with her cheating on her own husband at the time, and that soon she found out she was pregnant, and was worried of whose child it was, as she had slept with both criminal and the murderer's victim around the same time. She also told the crowd, that it was there in the office she was told of who the father was as Charlie had known records since childhood to be infertile, due to an injury during his birth. But Charlie himself never took on himself to know about either, despite his parents told him to be checked and later told of such thing. Bella was furious of hearing her tale, like it meant like nothing to her.

"Quil and I soon after Isabella's birth came up with the plan of him go over to our house when Charlie was at work, so he could be able to see his daugther, as we planned that when Bella was old enough to tell her the truth of who her father was, but then what I believed back then was an boating accident had happened, and I know that most of Charlie's friends were there that day too, but the one who was closest to see and maybe even help Charlie to cover the murder up to be an accident was none other his own best friend since childhood, and that was Mr William Ephriam Black. As I have known for long time that the two were joined at hip since they were babies and always did things together nomatter what. And after the accident with Sarah's death, he became wheelchair bound and therefore their adventures of doing things together had to be different. That is all I know really, but I want to formally apologise to my daugther of what has happened and that I kept this away from her, but my original plan was to tell her when she was around 14, for I felt she would be ready to know then about her parentage and true father, but sadly over time of losing her father in what we all believed to be an tragic accident, I started to frazzle and forget the original plan, until that FBI agent called me with the horrific news, and I was beginning unfrazzle and remember the original plan and I felt guilt for not holding onto that plan and had told Isabella, my loving, caring daugther of who her father is."

Bella nodded at this, as Renee felt relieved that Bella accepted the apology as it was most sincere one she ever given to her own daugther. Jared just smiled sadly but agreed on the apology being sincere. As Renee was let go and she went back to Phil's side to sit for now. Phil just held her in his arms as he had no blame or anger of her doings, as it was in the past now.

The Judge then said

"I wish to call up Mrs Isabella Molly Cameron, nee Aterea, first congratulations on your marriage to Mr Jared Sebastian Cameron, as we were told last night of this new name of yours."

Bella went up to the stand with head high, and smiled in thanks to the judge of his kind words about her marriage to Jared, while the crowd who didnt know about it including her own mother sat in shocked anger or disbelief for now. She was sworn in, and allowed to sit down. The Jugde said to her

"I wonder how you came up with knowing about the murder of your biological father, Mrs Cameron."

"Please it is Bella or Isabella, sir, but how I found out about it, was abit of an accident really. I was at this bon-fire of the tribe I belong nowadays to, and one of those nights, I started to hear someone whispering around me, and I looked around to see it was Charles Swan with William Black, and sneakly and being a curious child, I snuck around them, and hid in the bushes by a tree nearby them, and it was then I could hear what they were whispering about, and what I heard it shock me to the core, as I heard the two talking about how much fun it had been to hide that man's murder so easily as Charles still was a cop and knew how to cover up a crime as he felt he could do so without questions of others, and that was also then I heard the name "Quil Matthew Aterea the 3rd, is the one we murdered Charlie, the man who took away your chance of having your Isabella as yours, for he fathered her not yourself, now you are able to be her father and we can bethroth her to my only son, so they can get married at ages of 19 and 15, but we need to plan this carefully, as we don't want those two know until very near the date of their wedding."

Many sat gapping in shock of her tale. As she continued

"And after I heard this, that same summer of being bullied by William Black's daugther aswell beaten up by those demon twins for they thought I was the trash or that white whore, anyway when I came home that summer, I told almost everything to my mother and step-father, who both reacted with furiousity and disbelief, but they unlike Charlie Swan believed in me when I told them about the demon twins and their younger brother, Jacob who would follow me around like a lost puppy. My mother then put the visits to stop as she felt Charlie could come to California to see, so she and Phil would be near me if needed to be picked up. Those visits were hell, for all Charlie would do was to complain about the heat and the places we went to visit around California during those next few summers. I decided to keep the information of my real father's murder and murderer's name until I had more information to bring up to the Police. But in the end of finding out more and more, I decided to go to the Feds, as I felt it was their time to take over the case, for I had fear that Charlie would find out that I told on him and would kill me or do something to silence me for good. So the fall of my 18th year, which was last year, I felt I had enough of information, and went to the FBI headquarters in Seattle, and I met Agent Marcus Sweeney, and his partner, Agent Maria Eaton, and when I told the two I might have some information of 20 year old murder case that had gone cold but still open investigation, they became interested in what I said just there, and took me into a room, and there I told and show them everything of my proof, aswell a recording of Charles Swan and William Black discussing it in a whispered manner, while I hid again in some bushes. I think I shocked them with what I presented to them, for they told me after they saw, heard and read all the information, that they had been looking into to maybe this was a case of a close person of the murdered victim who had done it, as they felt it might been one of his friends or even a family member, but that last part was ruled out after confirming where each member of his family was at the time of murder or accident had taken place."

Many sat in shocked, anger and disbelief of her tale, as she was let go from the stand, as the two agents she came forward to was brought in and up on the stand, Bella gave the two a soft smile, which they returned, while Charlie and now Billy sat in worry and anger of what had been revealed so far. The female said

"We still have the same recording of Isabella Molly Cameron, then known to us Isabella Marie Swan, we brought it with us even today, so if you allow to have it listen to, then go ahead, Judge Miller." And the male partner gave the judge the recording device with the tape inside, and he pressed play and turned the volume and right there everyone could hear Billy and Charlie discussing in such callous, cold way of how they got away with the murder of said victim and that they got it to look like an accident had happened instead. Joy was furious now, so was many others in the room, while said two sat in shock manner of hearing their own voices on that tape. Bella was being held by Jared as she cried in his arms now.

After it was done playing, the judge asked for an hour of a break to go through all the evidence and statements of witness/victims of said crime, with his jury in tow, while the others of the room were let go to another room. Bella stayed with Jared and their families, as Renee made no notion of going up to them or her to talk yet, as she most likely still was in shock and somewhat anger of what been told so far.

An hour later, the judge with his 12 membered jury came back out of the backroom they had spend time in, and the Judge said

"We don't need to hear anymore, as we have come to conclusion of what should happen next, which is that I hereby sentences Mr Charles Swan to life without parole in Seattle Maximun Prison, and his company of said crime being Mr William Ephriam Black, you will be hereby to 40 years to life in same prison but the two of you will be sent to different floors and areas, as you are to have no contact with each other for these years in prison. So Mote It Be."

And Bella with her families cheered loudly and happily for the sentencing of these two men, and Billy was in shock of being caught and was going to jail, and the Judge said

"Your son, Jacob, William, will be in custody of his older sisters who will now come back to live here and stay here until Jacob is 18, that same year of him turning 18, he will be on his own for rest of his life, as his two sisters will not take care of him or his needs after that, as he is to take care of himself with their tools how to be an adult and good person to stand on his own two feet in adult life. So mote it be."

Bella looked abit worried, but the judge gave her a piece of a paper in her hand, and it said on it, that the twins due to how they had treated Bella in the past, they were not allowed anywhere near her or her family within 10 feet out in public, on events they weren't allowed within 5 feet. Bella was relieved for that at least. They weren't allowed anywhere near her anywhere weither in public or events with the tribe. Her grandfather smiled, so did her brother and step-mother of seeing these papers too.

Renee tried to get close so she could talk to her, but Bella was whisked away in Jared's car and they drove off before her mother could reach them or her. She had no choice to follow the rest of them down to Reservation if she was to talk to her own daugther.